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The ALMA Survey of Star Formation and Evolution in Massive Protoclusters with Blue Profiles (ASSEMBLE): Core Growth, Cluster Contraction, and Primordial Mass Segregation

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Survey of Star Formation and Evolution in Massive Protoclusters with Blue Profiles (ASSEMBLE) aims to investigate the process of mass assembly and its connection to high-mass star formation theories in protoclusters in a dynamic view. We observed 11 massive (M clump ≳ 103 M ⊙), luminous (L bol ≳ 104 L ⊙), and blue-profile (infall signature) clumps by ALMA with resolution of ∼2200–5500 au (median value of 3500 au) at 350 GHz (870 μm). We identified 248 dense cores, including 106 cores showing protostellar signatures and 142 prestellar core candidates. Compared to early stage infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) by ASHES, the core mass and surface density within the ASSEMBLE clumps exhibited a significant increment, suggesting concurrent core accretion during the evolution of the clumps. The maximum mass of prestellar cores was found to be 2 times larger than that in IRDCs, indicating that evolved protoclusters have the potential to harbor massive prestellar cores. The mass relation between clumps and their most massive core (MMCs) is observed in ASSEMBLE but not in IRDCs, which is suggested to be regulated by multiscale mass accretion. The mass correlation between the core clusters and their MMCs has a steeper slope compared to that observed in stellar clusters, which can be due to fragmentation of the MMC and stellar multiplicity. We observe a decrease in core separation and an increase in central concentration as protoclusters evolve. We confirm primordial mass segregation in the ASSEMBLE protoclusters, possibly resulting from gravitational concentration and/or gas accretion.

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Atomic collisional data for neutral beam modeling in fusion plasmas

The injection of energetic neutral particles into the plasma of magnetic confinement fusion reactors is a widely-accepted method for heating such plasmas; various types of neutral beam are also used for diagnostic purposes. Accurate atomic data are required to properly model beam penetration into the plasma and to interpret photoemission spectra from both the beam particles themselves (e.g. beam emission spectroscopy) and from plasma impurities with which they interact (e.g. charge exchange recombination spectroscopy). This paper reviews and compares theoretical methods for calculating ionization, excitation and charge exchange cross sections applied to several important processes relevant to neutral hydrogen beams, including H + Be4+ and H + H+. In particular, a new cross section for the proton-impact ionization of H (1s) is recommended which is significantly larger than that previously accepted at fusion-relevant energies. Coefficients for an empirical fit function to this cross section and to that of the first excited states of H are provided and uncertainties estimated. The propagation of uncertainties in this cross section in modeling codes under JET-like conditions has been studied and the newly-recommended values determined to have a significant effect on the predicted beam attenuation. In addition to accurate calculations of collisional atomic data, the use of these data in codes modeling beam penetration and photoemission for fusion-relevant plasma density and temperature profiles is discussed. In particular, the discrepancies in the modeling of impurities are reported. The present paper originates from a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on the topic of fundamental atomic data for neutral beam modeling that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ran from 2017 to 2022; this project brought together ten research groups in the fields of fusion plasma modeling and collisional cross section calculations. Data calculated during the CRP is summarized in an and is available online in the IAEA’s atomic database, CollisionDB.

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"Personally, I feel sorry, but professionally, I don't have a choice." Understanding the drivers of anti-Roma discrimination on the rental housing market.

The aim of our study is to assess the drivers of discriminatory behaviors of real-estate agents and private landlords toward prospective Roma tenants, relying on qualitative data from Hungary. Though there is a broad literature on the forms and frequency of discrimination, we know much less about the question of why people discriminate. Previous research suggests that discrimination on the basis of ethnicity is widespread in Hungary. To understand the drivers of discrimination, we analyzed: (a) the sources and justifications of discrimination of Roma people on the rental housing market among real-estate agents and private landlords, the actors making decisions about tenants (b) mapped the social embeddedness of discrimination, and (c) assessed the resilience of discriminatory intentions by analyzing the reactions to a 3-min advocacy video showing discrimination of Roma people on the rental housing market. We conducted and analyzed five online group discussions with 18 real estate agents and landlords advertising properties for rent in different regions of the country. Our qualitative study revealed that discrimination of Roma people is understood to be a widespread and socially acceptable practice driven by the need to avoid risks attributed to Roma tenants based on widely held stereotypes about them. We identified certain specificities in the justification and argumentation strategies of real-estate agents in comparison to private landlords. By providing counter-information presenting the perspective of Roma tenants, negative views could be challenged on the emotional level and also by shifting the group dynamics, strengthening the viewpoint of those without prejudice. We discuss our findings with regards to the possibilities of interventions against discrimination in societies in which neither social norms nor state institutions expect the equal treatment of the members of ethnic minority groups.

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A job trial subsidy for youth: Cheap labour or a screening device?

AbstractThis paper evaluates a 90‐day hiring subsidy designed for young jobseekers aged below 25, introduced in Hungary in 2015 as part of the Youth Guarantee programme. The subsidy covers the total wage cost with no obligation to retain the new hire when the subsidy expires. The analysis is based on linked administrative data on registered unemployment, cognitive skills measured around age 15, healthcare, and social security records. The causal impact of the subsidy on subsequent employment is identified in comparison to participants of a uniquely large public works programme, using propensity score matching with exceptionally rich controls. The estimates indicate significant positive effects: participants spent 14–20 days more in employment within 6 months after the programme ended in the whole sample. The impact is weaker on the 12‐month horizon. We find that the subsidy works well as a screening device: the programme has the highest impact on youths who have very low levels of schooling (8 years of primary school or less), but scored high on cognitive skills tests. One potential explanation is that employers tend to retain those with better cognitive skills, irrespective of their formal qualifications. We also find some indication that the subsidy is (mis)used by some employers to hire short term, seasonal workers.

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